Of Clowns and Angels
by Kusari Etc
Summary: Just a thin slice of lime twisted over for my favorite Gundam Pairing. 2x3 and how they got together. Certainly a shonenai, so do not read it if you do not mind them. Especially with Duo being rather forward.


Trowa stared past the knives, past Catherine, past the audience and even past the tent wall. He would feel a sort of emptiness as the keen whistle of the sharp knife flew by him. Even when it hit a little closer than either of the preforming two would like and a sliver of crimson surface on his arm. The pain rose just as gently as the blood to the skin, but came as fast as it trickled down his arm. Only when Catherine winced and the audience gasped did he realize where he was again, despite the cut. Only then did he see that familiar face, smiling broader than any of the children in the audience.  
  
Duo grimaced with the rest of the crowd, but not as much. He knew more than any one there (other than Catherine naturally) Trowa could take it. He had taken beatings and battles far more sever and painful than a knife's thin cut. He had spen the last year or so thinking about Trowa's tolerance for any sort of pain. The tolerance he could use. So Duo smiled all the brighter and popped another few kernels of popcorn.  
  
Trowa and Catherine took their bows with Trowa covering his arm and head behind the canvas scenes. Once they had reached all the way back, Catherine bent apologetically over him,  
  
"I did not get you too badly, did I?" she held his upper arm away from his body and examined the already half way healed cut. He pulled it away from her, showing his independance.  
  
"No, not really. It's already stopped bleeding. See? It's almost better," he twisted his shoulder and monitored the wound. Certainly nothing to really worry over.  
  
"I don't know, it looked awfully wicked from where I was sitting, Catherine," a deeper voice said, approaching from behind the couple. His footsteps were softened from their notice by the sand. Catherine spun wildly and Trowa turned. The girl instinctively took a closer stance to her surrogate brother.  
  
"Duo?" Trowa faced him and took one step closer, "I thought I had seen you out in the audience!"  
  
"Well, I do have one of those striking faces," Duo elbowed him, "But it didn't seem like you saw much of anything. More like you were stoned. But I agree they'd have to drug me up pretty well to get me to let her throw knives at me!" He winked playfully at the slowly boiling girl at Trowa's side.  
  
Catherine pushed past the charming Maxwell's humor and held Trowa's arm closer to her, a possesive look taking over her face.  
  
"No more missions," she snarled, fire flashing in her eyes and through her veins. No one would let her 'little brother' ever be in pain ever again.  
  
"Woah! I know! I know," Duo put up his hands in defense and shook his head, "Not like we need to go around starting wars."  
  
"All right," she loosed her grip on him, "But, then, why are you here?"  
  
"Circus sounded like a nice change of pace for me?" Duo shrugged, "Plus, I have not seen any of the guys in quite a while. I just wondered how you were doing." He had been wondering a lot about Trowa and Catherine. More so about Trowa.  
  
Trowa smiled, "It has been a while, hasn't it?" Duo chuckled to himself. Reminscing seemed to be one of the few things he could do with the almighty Silencer. Not that he minded. They did not often reminisce about the painful things, and so Duo was happy.  
  
"You wouldn't want to go out for some coffee and catching up, would you?"  
  
Trowa nodded, "Sure. That sounds good to me."  
  
Catherine looked at the both of them worriedly before taking a permisive step away from Trowa. He closed his eyes and smiled. A small step, but it meant she was letting him go with her blessings. He cast a reassuring glance back at her and touched her hand, still frozen in the air where his arm had been.  
  
"You know I worry about you," she whispered in their native tongue. He closed his eyes and the corner of his mouth turned up. He knew it. He liked that she worried about him; it made him feel like he really had a place in someone's life.  
  
"I know," he said quietly, "I know. Thank you."  
  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"So you don't miss it?" Duo asked, shaking a sugar packet at the outdoor table they had chose. It was a cool enough evening for it not to be unpleasant but too cool for any one to go out onto the patio.  
  
Trowa shook his head in his soft answer, "Not really. I miss the thrill of flight and battle, but I am happy where I am now."  
  
"As a clown," Duo credited him sarcastically. Trowa laughed out loud, taking Duo totally aback. He didn't know he was that funny! He had hardly seen Trowa smile in their entire career together, much less laugh like that. He took it as a serious compliment.  
  
"Yes, I suppose. But it is my own place."  
  
"I see," Duo nodded, knowing what that felt like with his former relationship with Hilde,"A name, a family and a place in life hu?" He poured even another packet of sugar in. There was just one place in that life missing. He was wondering if he himself could fill it. He just had to test the waters.  
  
"Sounds about right to me," Trowa answered watching his coffee cool down as he stirred it.  
  
"So," he poured himself a tad of milk, "Do you have a girl?"  
  
"I have a sister," Trowa moved a curious eyebrow.  
  
"Ah traveling keeps you away from the Ladies?" Duo joked with the usual masculine movements, nervously pressing the boundry.   
  
"I guess I just don't really need a girlfriend," Trowa shrugged and took the first drink of his coffee. Duo looked up at him with a hopeful gleam in his eye. Perhaps he had a chance with this pilot. Trowa decided his coffee was too strong after watching Duo down all of those sugars into his cup. He looked up at the other man and noticed he still had the milk.  
  
"Really?" Duo asked, knowing to himself the answer he had wanted was there as plain as day.  
  
"Yeah," Trowa lifted out of his chair and leaned forward across the table for the cream. The poor and anxious Duo misinterpretted his move. He closed his eyes and stood a bit himself, meeting Trowa nose to nose and mouth to mouth. After a long and confused moment, Trowa blinked and pulled away from the strange kiss.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Duo was caught up in the perfect bliss of his own planned moment. Those words brought him out of his trance. His eyes opened and saw Trowa staring at him with a odd look. Duo blushed furiously, realizing he had never meant to do anything like that.  
  
"You. You kissed me?" he put his fignertips to his lips, wondering what the hell had just happened. Duo turned his violet eyes away with a rapid agreement, his cheeks turning warmer by the milisecond.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't KNOW," he cried, the splotches of glowing red in his cheeks covering his entire face, "You looked like you were going to kiss me!" Duo faced his coffee and muttered in shame, "I'm really sorry. Just forget about it, OK?" Trowa cocked his head curiously and got up.  
  
"Don't be sorry," Trowa leaned forward untill they were nose to nose again, "I don't want to forget it."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
